Rumors: Fedor to fight Dan Henderson?

According to Lorenna Hunt from SI.com:

"Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson are on board to square off in a proposed late July bout on Showtime, sources from both fighters' camps told SI.com on Saturday.
Strikeforce officials said discussions for the summer blockbuster bout are under way, but that many details, including what weight the headliner will be contested at, as well as the date and venue, still need to be ironed out before the deal can be signed. Talks are expected to pick up next week, according to sources."

Is this for real? This sounds like a blockbuster that Strikeforce has been trying to land. Now that they are bought out by Zuffa, it seems as though they are taking steps continuing to make a name for themselves.

Keep the in mind the Strikeforce Grand-Prix is still ongoing and is a good revenue and viewer ship stream already.

Random Thoughts:
So much hockey, so much basketball, and so many fights! = so much for baseball for a few months.

BERTO VS ORTIZ and KHAN V McCLOSKEY this weekend!!! Read my preview here. Prediction Ortiz KO 10. Khan KO 6.

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ VS ORLANDO SALIDO AS WELL! Should be a good night for JML. Everyone will be talking about how Salido gave Gamboa a tough time when they fought. Juan Manuel Lopez should have no such problem. I think he is so much more technically sound than Gamboa it should be a relatively easy fight.

Props to Roy Jones Jr. for taking on a tough fight at a bigger weight. He is scheduled to take on the Russian Denis Lebedev (26-1 160KOS) in his home country, AND at the highest weight since he won his HW belt from John Ruiz. At least he's not fighting nobodies. Props and the best of luck to him.

The Klitscko brothers have decided that Wladimir V Haye and Vitali V Adamek. Wait.. they get to choose who each of them fight? That's a bit ridiculous.

They are replaying the Amir Khan V Maidana in HD streaming for free on youtube. It was voted by the BWAA (Boxing Writers Association of America) as their Fight of the Year. Now you have officially no reason NOT to watch this fight. Here it is:

Thoughts on Zuffa Strikeforce

All we can do as fans is hope.  Maybe some interesting things might happen.  One of Pride's last events before it shut down there was Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi also Hayato Sakurai vs Mac Danzig, fights that may never have happened if Zuffa never bought them out.  Hopefully we might see some legendary match ups before fighters are out of jobs.  Any of the top heavyweights of Strikeforce and UFC would be amazing match ups.  Nick Diaz vs George St. Pierre or anyone at the top of the welterweight division.  Other fighters such as Bobby Lawler, Jacare Souza, Gegard Mousasi would be very exciting to watch in UFC.  For the other fighters that aren't going to get an extended contract or get a "1 fight win or get dropped" contract, I dont know where they can turn.  Maybe Bellator Fighting Championships.  Seems like the decisions of UFC determine the future of MMA.  With that type of power/responsibility they should have a sense of obligation to the fighters they turn away who help make this sport what it is.  I have a sense that Zuffa is thinking "if you're not with us you're against us" and that type of attitude may not help the sport grow.  MMA has come a long way and UFC has done a lot for the sport, but I just hope Zuffa has more than just UFC in mind and do what's good for MMA as a whole.

DREAM mix martial arts promotion and their fights in Japan are an ongoing and always growing event.  Having much of Japan as their audience and fans and also support internationally i hope these types of organizations can become something more than just another take over by Zuffa merged into UFC.

Strikeforce sold its soul for money and is put on a morphine drip by Zuffa.
Pride was slain by Zuffa, forced to go out with a bang with Pride 33 and 34.
RIP Pride, their presentation was amazing and fights were second to none.

Zuffa buys Strikeforce!!

Wow. Breaking news in MMA as Zuffa, parent company to UFC, buys Strikeforce.

UFC Dana White confirms to MMAfighting.com that they made the purchase. While this news brings a certainty to which logo displayed we will see at the end of all of our PPV broadcasts it also bring a lot of questions.

Will this mean an the inevitable UFC takeover much like it did to Pride, WEC?

It seems like Dana White has two strategies when it comes to rival companies: Wait for them to die or when it starts gaining steam buy them out. In this writer's opinion, this may not be the best business strategy. While Strikeforce was gaining reputation, I don't think they were making fans of the UFC not watch UFC fights. MMA fans will watch good fights regardless of venue. If the UFC continues to provide good exciting MMA fights that people want to see they shouldn't be concerned with the other organizations. Who wants to play football in the Arena Football League? No one is going to stop watching the NFL because they now have arena football to watch. No one is going to stop watching the NBA because the NBDL started a team in their city.

Which fighters will come over if they do merge?
Fedor in the UFC cage?
Does Paul Daley come back?
Does Dan Henderson come back?
Allistar Overeem?
Nick Diaz?
Jacare?


Is this good for MMA?

I think this is a very debatable issue. I'll let the commenters and their comments take care of this one.

Strikeforce Diaz vs Cyborg Recap

Nick Diaz vs Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos

Both fighters came in the fight trying to find their range, but Cyborg was able to find a home for his leg kick early in round 1 giving some problems for Nick because Nick’s distance is usually closer to the opponent enabling him to land at will with his boxing.  Cyborg continues using the right leg kick throughtout the 1^st round.  Nick tags Cyborg through out the fight with combinations of straights and hook, without commiting 100% to any punch it lets his hands fly faster, doing so, he is able to overwhelm his opponents with multiple punches.  Each shot may not have knockout written on it but if you don’t dodge it, it will do damage.  Cyborg doesn’t use his distance well, when Diaz walks in he can’t land clean because he doesn’t have space to throw, he doesn’t use his feet.  His conditioning is questionable unable to keep what was working for him in the first round, the right leg kick to Nick’s lead leg.  He throws a lot of hooks and winging punches, though Nick takes a few he can see most of them coming and only getting caught here and there.  Nick straighter punches keep Cyborg moving back, the pressure of a taller fighter coming towards you is hard to train for.  The only time you see Nick back up in this fight was when Cyborg was using his leg kicks.  Only landing a big uppercut and a few hooks, Cyborg was getting gassed, unable to handle Nick’s stand up and decided to take Nick down.  Cybrog being gassed and Nick slap on a tight arm bar and finish the fight.  Nick Diaz improves his record to (24-7) with a 9 fight win streak.

Robbie Lawyer vs Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Round 1 both fighters get their jitters out with movement on their feet, all that ends with a Souza takedown and easily works in to side control.  Souza, being a top BJJ practitioner, shows the difference skill levels on the ground with great ground control and always threatening with submissions.  Lawler does a great job of scrambling to his feet from side control using hand control to get out of any threats of head choke when scrambling.  They both trade punches as Souza back petals he is caught with a lead left knee by Lawler and starts doing the chicken dance while moving back as he is caught with another huge right hook.  Robbie spends time in Souza’s guard but is unable to put on any offense in passing or strikes.  Lack of action referee John McCarthy stands them up.  Robbie lands a big right liver kick and both fighters throw a flurry ending the round with a takedown attempt by Jacare.

Round 2 Jacare gets a takedown and gets side control and peppers Robbie with strikers trying to set up to mount or a submission.  Robbie is unable to maintain guard on the ground letting Jacare move back to side control quickly after a scramble.  With a leg bar attempt Souza chains an armbar attempt when Robbie tries to escape, and tries to slap on another armbar attempt but Robbie shows his own BJJ IQ by jumping over Jacare relieving the danger of another armbar.

Round 3 Souza starts his attack his a thai clinch landing some knees partially blocked by Lawlers arms as Lawler tries to counter with punches inside the muay thai plum.  The clinch ends up against the fense and Souza is able to take Robbie down again.  Robbie tries to get up giving Souza his back and Souza quickly does a wrestling “suck back” pulls Robbie quickly to the ground and Jacare quickly circles to Robbies back slaps on a body triangle and finishes the fight with a rear naked choke.  Ronaldo Souza ups his record to (14-2).

Herschel Walker vs Scott Carson

Round 1 Herschel Walker takes the center of the ring, Carson throws a right high kick that clips Walker but walker is unfazed and instead pumped up by the kick as he puts his hands down and yells at Carson.  They trade right hands both missing but Walker follows this up with a left hook, right hook combination, the left knocking Carson down.  Herschel follows him to the ground controlling him in the guard and from the back position hammering away.  Carson tries to escape by rolling to his guard and get up using the fence but is caught by a left hook by Walker and ends the fight.  Hershel Walker improves to (2-0) with 2 Tkos.

Roger Gracie vs Trevor Prangley

Round 1 Both fighters were slow to get started on their feet, both trying to find their range no one committing with any combinations or one punch.  Gracie being the taller fighter tries to establish his jab but ends up landing a few knees in the clinch pushing Prangley against the fence.  As they clinch again Gracie gets a front trip takedown.  Prangley stuck against the fence after the takedown was unable to use his legs to get into a good guard giving Gracie a full mount.  Gracie slowly works to get better position cross facing Prangley, as Prangley feels the danger he rolls to escape giving Gracie his back.  Gracie slaps on a body triangle and works to end the fight with a rear naked choke.  Gracie adds another submission win improving his record to (4-0) with 4 submissions.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Overview

Strikeforce puts together a crowd pleasing tournament putting every fighter at risk with danger in every bracket.

Fedor Emelianenko (32-2,) a fighter that needs no introduction, will probably be the favorite to win the tournament even with the loss to Fabricio Werdum.  Fedor has dominated the heavyweight division in Pride and has been #1 P4P on many critics' list of talented fighters.  His name has recently dropped off most lists since the submission loss to Fabricio, but he is ready to prove he still belongs in the top P4P list in this tournament.  

Antonio Silva (15-2) comes into this tournament in the first round facing the toughest opponent yet in his career.  He has a great ground game using his BJJ to solidify positioning for submission or his devastating ground and pound.  His stand up game is exceptional, recently out striking Andrei Arlovski in Strikeforce.  He's more known for his ground n pound and will try and display that in this tournament.

Alistair Overeem (34-11) moving up to heavyweight since Pride has done him well.  He is talked about to be Fedor's biggest challenge if they meet in the Semi-Finals.  With all finishes by submission or knockout in his last 9 wins and winning 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix he is thought to have the most momentum coming into this tournament.

Fabricio Werdum (14-4) is another fighter coming into this tournament with a lot of momentum.  Known for his BJJ and ground n pound and his striking is always improving.  He comes off a first round submission win over Fedor Emelianenko (maybe the biggest upset in MMA history).

Andrei Arlovski (15-8) comes in the tournament with recent significant deterioration of his career.  Entering this tournament with a 3 fight losing streak, including 2 devastating knockout losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, Adrei fights to get his career back on track.  Known for his boxing and devastating hands, he was beating Fedor with his footwork and speed before making a bad decision, throwing a flying knee giving Fedor the opening to land a 1 punch knockout ending his impressive prior 5 fight win streak.

Sergei Kharitonov (17-4), makes his Strikeforce debut hoping to make his mark on American soil in this tournament.  Notable from his Pride career, Kharitonov is able finish fights with both submission and strikes.  Every one of the entrants along the way will be Kharitonov’s most toughest opponents of his career making him a major underdog of this tournament.

Josh Barnett (26-5), has been a ranked in the top 10 heavyweights throughout his career. He is coming off a 6 fight win streak.  Because of his lack of being signed with the popular UFC it is hard for him to find top competition in his weight class since his Pride days.  Entering this tournament may put him back on the map and will give any opponent problems with his striking and wrestling.

Brett Rogers (11-2) is known for his devastating knockout power made his way up the food chain quickly with impressive 10 wins by way of knockout before facing Fedor.  Briefly after being TKO’d by Overeem he comes off a win in a tune up fight hoping to get back to his winning ways.

This is a great tournament put together by Strikeforce, ensuring fans to see fireworks on either side of the tournament.  This tournament starts on Febrauary 12^th predictions coming soon!

Breaking News: Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Announced!

Showtime has announced a heavyweight tournament! It is formally announced as the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

It kicks off on February 12th with two of the first round matches taking place in the IZOD center. Ex UFC champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) takes on Sergei Kharitonov (16-4). On the other side of the draw, Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) clashes with Antonio Silva (15-2).

There are great match ups in this tournament with perhaps the deepest heavyweight tournament in MMA history. The tournament boasts two ex-UFC champions in Josh Barnett and Arlovski, reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion (as well as K-1 and Dream champion) Alistair Overeem, Fedor, and the Fedor slayer Fabricio Werdum.

This may be the only weight division that Strikeforce has a realistic chance to compete with the UFC and they are showing it in dramatic fashion.

With a closer look at the brackets, Fedor will be either fighting Overeem or have a rematch with Werdum if he gets through the first round. The Overeem Fedor match has been something that MMA fans around the world have been asking for and we will finally have a chance to see it. Personally I thought that Overeem and Fedor deserved to be on other sides of the draw.

However, this should not take away from the promise of great heavyweight MMA action for the remainder of the tournament. Props to CEO Scott Coker for putting together such an amazing tournament.

Schedule:
Feb 12 - Fedor V Silva, Overeem V Werdum
April - Barnett V Rogers, Arlovski V Kharitonov